r/VAGuns • u/Dry-Cricket5483 • 19d ago

Buying J-Frames

Hi all! Hoping to buy a J-frame.

Looking at older ones to avoid recent QC issues and the internal lock

Any suggestions on where to pick one up?

Will travel 2.5ish hours away from Arlington for any in-person recs

Thanks!

4 Upvotes

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5

u/DerfNHerf 19d ago edited 19d ago

You may want to try vaguntrader.com. I'm sure someone will sell you one as they are not rare. For a good price? That I doubt.

I recommend you watch a video on how to check a revolver's timing and lockup before you buy a used example. Wheel guns can develop very subtle problems over time that are a pain to fix.

If you are not comfortable with that, look at a new Kimber or a Ruger LCR.

2

u/NicktVA 19d ago

S&W has a good warranty the few times I've had to use it. I have totally shot out an aluminum one I bought in 2005, though. Tens of thousands of rounds of 38. They do make new ones without the lock.

2

u/80s-Comfortable_Crow 18d ago

Ruger seems to be having better quality control these days. The Ruger LCR is great.

2

u/spur0701 18d ago

Ditto this, I've got a couple of LCRxs with 3 inch barrels (x has external hammer and is SA/DA) and they are super light and even shooting FBI loads is easy.....

2

u/Important_Jaguar2152 18d ago edited 18d ago

I have an older SW M&P hammerless I usually pocket carry... and it is miserable to shoot with 357 lol. If you want to pay double the price for a tuned one you can get one from TK Customs. I got an R8 from him and its great.

1

u/Agreeable-Fall-4152 18d ago

Buy a new one and send it to Nelson Ford.

1

u/Cycle_Directional 9d ago

Sharpshooters has a really nice SP 101 right now for 500 taking offers.